A Game of Exploding Snape
by IntrovertedPuff
Summary: (no Snape's were harmed in the making of this fic) A feel good story of Snape taking Harry under his wing after catching him trying to runaway from the Dursley's. Poor Snape might really explode by the time Harry's done with him. Warning! Possible Language and hints of Abuse!


**A/N: Hello everyone! This is just a simple HP Fic set at the beginning of the third book when Harry is running away from the Dursley's. But instead of being picked up by the Knight Bus, an angry Professor Snape finds him, and discovers an interesting fact about his least favorite student. **

**Hope you enjoy, and please comment to give me feedback on my writing! **

_**I do not own the rights to these characters. **_

**Warning! Future abuse flashbacks and possibly language! **

Snape was in a foul mood.

Despite his outward attitude towards others and his ever black and moody demeanor he normally considered himself a well emotionally balanced person. Or rather he knew how to control his emotions to compose and keep up his cold, uncaring, bat- like personality. He was proud of his many sneers and cutting words because he was always was Slytherin enough to deliver them with utmost style.

But today his emotions were getting the better of him and he knew it.

Not only was he almost half an hour late to a very important meeting with England's prestigious Potion's Society he had forgotten to eat lunch, a drunk muggle had jostled into him and spilled coffee down his robes, he had some urgent paper's for Dumbledore who was gone on vacation in the Caribbean and would not be disturbed, his leg that had been bitten by Hagrid's ridiculous three headed dog was aching again, and to crown it all early that morning McGonagall had actually _hissed _at him. Hissed at him! Like the finicky feline she was.

Normally McGonagall and he got on just fine, sometimes she would disapprove of one thing or another, but ever since Potter arrived and landed in her idiotic house their Slytherin/Gryffindor rivalry had reached its peak. Frankly Snape was sick of it, and since Dumbledore was gone there was no one to mend the battle wounds. Dumbledore certainly needed this much deserved vacation with the scares of Voldemort and the chamber of secrets, but Hogwarts without him in the summer was like Quiditch without a referee.

Snape muttered under his breath to recast his invisible umbrella and was pulling his cloak tighter around himself when he heard an obnoxious hooting noise that could only belong to an owl. Snape prided himself that he had studied the habits of magical animals enough that he could make out what it was saying. As with everything he couldn't let any stone of knowledge go unturned.

This obviously annoyed and concerned owl was in a tizzy over something

_Idiot boy, idiot boy, danger, danger, idiot boy…_

Just as he heard this he realized he was walking near the streets where that hopeless brat Potter lived. With a growl he whipped his head around so fast he nearly hurt his neck.

There fallen over his suitcase and into a puddle with the rain dripping off his pathetic nose and an expression of terror was the Boy Who Lived. And in creeping towards him with a foaming snarl was the largest dog-beast Snape had ever seen.

He waited half a second for the boy to draw his wand, but he just sat frozen staring stupidly at the animal that looked as if it would tear him from limb to limb.

"Idiot boy." Snape glared mimicking the owl. It would entirely serve the brat right if he were to be eaten alive, but Dumbledore would never forgive him. With a quick flick of his wand he sent a lash of whipping flames dancing across the pavement towards the black hound dog that yelped in surprise and wheeled to snarl at him. "Get away from the precious golden boy mutt. Do you want to lose me my job?"

If Snape didn't know better he would have thought the dog gave him a look of pure hatred, for a second he thought the beast would leap upon him. But when he raised his wand again causing the flames to leap higher he snapped longingly at him and melted into the trees with a howl of fury. For a minute Snape stared thoughtfully at where he disappeared, he could have sworn there was something very strange and familiar about the dog. Something about the eyes… They made his lip curl with dislike unwittingly.

He shook the feeling off and turned to the boy. After all it was just a dog.

"P-professor Snape?" Harry Potter asked in disbelief. He got himself to his feet and made clumsy attempts to brush himself off, gripping his suitcase tightly with a look of defiance.

"If it isn't the famous Harry Potter making a nincompoop out of himself as usual," sneered Snape, looking down at the boy "Your glasses are hopelessly cracked."

Potter blinked, turning slightly red, and swallowed hard "yes. What's it to you?"

Snape sighed out of his nose. What was this strange feeling inside him? It couldn't be pity for this scrawny teenage boy who stood before him shivering in only a t-shirt although the rain poured down heavily now. He was Professor Snape; he was not supposed to feel pity for anyone, especially Potter. But why was the brat cradling his left arm like that? Had the dog bitten him?

"I dislike your tone boy. _Reparo." _He flicked his wand and the glasses mended themselves "how is the boy supposed to fight Voldemort and save the world when he can't even see straight." He muttered to himself and then asked sharply "what's the matter with your arm?"

Harry turned redder and backed away "it's nothing _sir. _And you didn't have to mend my glasses, I'm not a baby! What are you even doing here? Shouldn't you be at Hogwarts?"

Snape snorted "I said watch your tongue Potter, or I'll hex it. The question is what are you doing at this hour with your suitcase, an owl, and no coat in the cold? If I were you I'd get back to your muggle family before I drag you back."

Hedwig hooted in agreement and ruffled her feathers, tired of the rain.

"You can't make me go back." Harry said in a low hard voice "I won't do it."

Snape noticed Harry's hand trailing to his back jeans pocket where his wand was tucked and snatched it in a violent grip "Oh can't I? Dumbledore has given strict instructions for you to remain at the Dursley's, sixty points from Gryffindor for daring to try and use your wand at me!" he said savagely "now _walk_."

He strode purposely in the direction of Privet Drive dragging Harry at arms-length. The Potter boy actually tried to fight him off and managed to get a good kick at Snape's achy leg making him hiss in pain. He thought about slapping the brat, but thought better of it instead pulling out his own wand and sticking it under Harry's chin.

"Potter if you make one more attempt at fighting me," he said in a soft venomous voice "I will hex you so your limbs turn blue and fall off, than I will shove a potion down your immobile throat that makes your eyeballs turn to ashes and your tongue to jelly. Do you understand me?"

He must have been convincing because the brat actually seemed to be fighting back tears, he blinked them back however and nodded slowly.

"I want words Potter." Snape snarled giving him a slight shake.

Harry lifted his chin and glared "yes sir."

"Good." Snape let go of him, taking the boys wand and putting it in his robes. Hedwig hissed angrily, but this time not at Harry. "Let us continue."

The boy now walked stiff, silent, and proud. Gryffindor through and through, Snape sneered. A piece of paper fluttered out of Harry's trouser pocket and onto the pavement, Potter froze.

A glance at Potter's guilty looking face and Snape scooped up the paper. The boy made an attempt to grab it back, than stared at the ground biting his lip.

Snape opened it and read it through twice, he looked sharply up at Potter and then back down at the letter. Just to be sure his eyes weren't deceiving him he read it one more time. He could not believe the words, Harry Potter, the Chosen One, The Golden Boy, had granted himself a hard hit indeed.

"_You blew up your aunt?" _demanded Snape a smirk growing on his lips "you do realize that this offense could be punishable by no less then expulsion from Hogwarts? A muggle no less, do you have any idea how serious this is?"

Harry was very white and still, through his thin shirt his heart could be seen pounding "they said horrible things about my father. They said horrible things about me." He said quietly.

"Did they?" sneered Snape "I'm not very surprised."

Harry's eyes flashed with anger "they called my mother A_ BITCH!" _he shouted "and I'm SICK of them treating me like garbage, they bully me, they shout at me, they lock me up, they, they, they…" He trailed off holding his arm tightly, tears creeping down his cheeks against his will "please don't take me back, Sir."

Snape stood frozen staring numbly. Suddenly he had memories of his own harsh childhood, of a time when he had stood crying in front of an adult saying the exact same thing. _Please don't take me back, not to my father._

He shuddered and seized Potter's wrist, pulling up the sleeve before he had time to react. The bony pale arm was covered in mottled bruises of deep purple and scarlet. There were harsh red lines that could only be from ropes tied far too tight. These were not the signs of a happy childhood Snape had always pictured Harry having.

The boy yanked the arm away, furious.

"Did your muggle family do that to you?" demanded Snape, trying to cover up his horror.

"No, leave me alone! Why can't you just leave me alone?!" Sobbed Harry covering up his arm again.

Minerva had always complained about the Dursley's, but Snape had thought she was just being over protective as people often were with Potter. But he knew she had no idea they were abusive or she would never stand to have him here, and neither could Snape.

For all his harsh words he had always sought to keep his students safe at Hogwarts. He was hard on them, but he did care for them in his own way. He had lived his whole life at Hogwarts just so that he could protect Harry; he had never thought the boy might need protecting from his own family.

And they had called Lilly a bitch. Beautiful, kind, strong Lilly, a bitch.

Snape held Harry's shoulder's before he could run away "Potter calm down. Listen to me and stop that crying." The boy didn't appear to be obeying him; if anything he grew more frantic "_Potter! _I said stop that crying or I'll make you!"

The sobs grew less and Snape rummaged in his robes pulling out a small vial "drink. Now."

Potter hesitated, looking at him with distrust as the vial was pressed in his hand.

Snape sighed "Do it. I promise you it's nothing bad." He took a deep breath and though it choked him to say it he added "please Harry, do as I ask."

This seemed to shock the brat into obedience, because he drank the potion down in one swallow. Immediately it began to take effect. His crying ceased and his body relaxed before his eyes fluttered and he toppled over in a dead sleep into Snape's arms.

Snape held him a moment, cradling him like a small child. It was just for a moment, barley five seconds, but in those seconds he looked into the lad's face with a very soft expression as if he'd found something he'd lost a long time ago.

Then he looked at the snot and tears that now was smeared on his robes and informed the sleeping boy he was a disgusting brat.

With a flick of his wand he levitated Harry, his suitcase, his owl, and set off purposely into the night. He would not take them to the Dursley's or the Ministry, but to Hogwarts's.

Snape was an observant man, but as he set off down the street even he didn't see the two eyes and the black form of a dog that followed him in the shadows. The dog had a strange almost human expression on its face. One of hate.


End file.
